Sunday, August 30, 2015

Is That My Mom Coming Through the Door?

Quick! Hide me. Where’s the back door? Oh, right, this lighthouse doesn’t have a back
door. A closet. Looks like we’re short
on human-sized closet space as well.

Drat, too late, she’s seen me. Smile, Lucy, smile. Look happy.

“Hi, Mom. What are you doing here?”

As if I need to ask. I know exactly why Mom is here in the
Bodie Island Lighthouse Library and why she didn’t tell me she was coming. She
didn’t tell me she was coming, because she was afraid I’d find a sudden reason
to be heading out of town.

As for why she’s here. That’s obvious also. She wants to
take me back to Boston with her. You see, I left my long, long, long time
boyfriend down on one blended knee (small blue box in hand) and fled town. I came down here, to my favourite place in
all the world, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to think over what I was
going to do with my life. I didn’t have to think for long, as I found myself
with a job in the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.

I love it here. I love the library, I love my coworkers, I
love my Lighthouse Aerie on the fourth floor. I love the library cat, Charles. I love living and working in the Outer Banks.

I am NOT going back to Boston. So there Mom!

I’ll be firm, yet nice. I’ll welcome Mom’s visit and let her
know I am not leaving. I’ll even go with
her to the Ocean Side Hotel in Nags Head and help her check in. Surely she can’t get into any trouble there…
can she?

Booked for Trouble will be released on Tuesday! Here’s a small excerpt:

I love my mother. Truly, I do. She’s never shown me anything but love,
although she’s tempered it by criticism perhaps once too often. She believes in me, I think, although she’s
not exactly averse to pointing out that I’d be better off if I did things her
way. She’s a kind, generous person. At
least, that is, to those she doesn’t consider to be in competition with her for
some vaguely defined goal, if not -- watch out, she'll carry a grudge to the
grave. She may be stiff and formal and sometimes overly concerned with
observance of proper behavior, but she’s also adventurous and well-travelled. And
above all her love of her children knows no bounds.

I do love my mother.

I just wish she wasn’t bearing down on me at this moment, face beaming,
arms outstretched.

Booked for Troubleby Eva Gates

To celebrate the book’s release, let’s have a contest! To win a copy, please leave a comment with
your email address so I can contact the winner.
US addresses only, please. Contest
closes evening of Monday August 31. (Although comments are always welcome!)

Eva Gates will be visiting the Outer Banks next week on book
tour. If you are in the area, we’d love
to see you! The full schedule of
appearances is here: www.vickidelany.blogspot.com

My birthday is the 31st so I hope my name is the one chosen. I love your ideas for this series and would love to have a lighthouse to do this with someday. Thanks so much for the chance to win a copy of the book. robeader53@yahoo.com

Loved the first book, and thought her mom was a piece of work. She and her husband need to let Lucy live her life as SHE chooses. I own the first book and would love to add this new one to my collection. NoraAdrienne (at) gmail (dot) com

I'm really looking forward to this second installment. I can't imagine what will happen once Lucy's mom arrives on the scene. It's great fun to read about a library in a lighthouse, particularly because I'm a librarian myself. Thanks for the fun chance to win! rencw@verizon.net

This is a new series for me! I've always been fascinated by lighthouses visiting several here in Northern California and Oregon. My father had a marvelous collection of all things lighthouses. kat8762@aol.com

Love lighthouses. Always have even living in Texas panhandle growing up. Now live on the coast. Loved reading the first book. Library in lighthouse might be my fantasy job! Often dreaded Mom's visits; but now miss them and her.

Like Pamela Woodfield, Lighthouses and libraries my two favorite places. I am always amazed at how quickly new books come out as I am not talented in the writing department!Hope your visit to the outer banks is a pleasant one! pagers@frontier.com

Welcome

We are the characters--major and minor--who inhabit the pages of some of your favorite cozy mysteries.We're coming out from between the covers and welcoming you into our lives.So grab a nice cuppa, settle in, and learn what happens when our authors aren't looking.

Sheila Connolly

Goodbye, Sheila Connolly

Our dear friend and colleague, Sheila Connolly, passed away on April 20, 2020, in her beloved cottage in Ireland. She was a steady, smiling friend, a prolific writer, and a long-time contributor to Killer Characters and other blogs.

We thank her for the gift of her friendship and her stories. Please treasure her memory with us, and enjoy reading and rereading her books.